On the evening of Tuesday, 12 May, UN Secretary-General António Guterres landed in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
In the morning of Wednesday, 13 May, the Secretary-General participated in the tenth African Union-United Nations High-Level Dialogue, alongside the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf.
In his opening remarks, the Secretary-General said that this was a moment of great emotion for him, as it most likely would be his last summit with the African Union as Secretary-General. He told the African Union delegation that they could count on the United Nations to support the African Union fully in their initiatives and ensure that the international community understands that Africa’s success is absolutely essential for global success.
Following a working lunch, the Chairperson and the Secretary-General publicly signed a Declaration Reaffirming the Principles of the Joint Frameworks. The declaration reaffirms the strategic partnership between the United Nations and the African Union, emphasizing their shared commitment to multilateralism, African leadership and the integrated pursuit of peace and security, sustainable development and human rights.
In remarks to the press afterwards, the Secretary-General said that, from the start of his mandate, he has taken steps to build a unique strategic partnership with the African Union.
The Secretary-General reiterated his call for fairer representation of Africa among the Security Council’s permanent members. “This is not about privilege or symbolism,” the Secretary-General said. “This is about ensuring that the Council is fit for purpose and able to act with legitimacy and effectiveness.”
Referring to a number of conflicts on the continent, the Secretary-General enumerated the various examples of the close cooperation between the UN and the African Union in support of the African Union’s “Silencing the Guns” initiative.
In concluding his opening remarks, the Secretary-General said he had always believed that Africa should be seen for what it is: A continent of immense richness and promise. In answer to a question from a journalist on foreign interference in African conflicts, the Secretary-General said that it was absolutely intolerable that countries external to Africa interfere in African conflicts, providing weapons and political support, only to serve their own strategic or economic interests.
Later in the afternoon, the Secretary-General, along with the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, were joined by the President of France Emmanuel Macron for a meeting. Mr. Guterres made remarks at the beginning of the meeting. During the meeting, they discussed the needed reforms of the multilateral and international financial architecture in an effort to make it more fair to those on the African continent and beyond. They also exchanged views on the impact of the current conflict in the Middle East and how to mitigate it for African countries.
Late in the evening of Wednesday, 13 May, the Secretary-General departed Addis Ababa.